Omaha College World Series, Inc., E.S.P.N. and M.E.C.A. put both fans and players at risk by their irresponsible behavior on Monday night at the College World Series game. They did the same thing last year and at some point in the future they are going to cost players and or fans their lives or serious injuries.The writer was at the game Monday night. The writer assumed weather might be an issue. But like 20,000 some fans was not warned of any severe weather until the tornado sirens went off--not until the sirens went off shortly after 8:00 p.m.!
Protecting the programming and profits of those holding and airing events should never trump the protection of human life, but that seems to be the case with the College World Series.
On Monday night, a sever storm warning was issued at 7:42 p.m. while 20,000 some fans, many not from the Midwest, watched the Florida/Vanderbilt game. Some may have known that earlier, at 6:52 P.M., a tornado watch was issued for the area. Most probably didn’t because they were already in the stadium. Why? Because the decision makers of the CWS obviously didn’t think it was important.
Did CWS not know a storm was coming? Of course they did. In fact, on Tuesday night E.S.P.N. and the CWS purposely delayed the opening pitch because it was raining and because their radar indicated the storm would pass by the revised 7:30 p.m. starting time.
When it comes to human life The College World Series, Inc. and M.E.C.A. should err on the side its fans and players. It should provide those folks with updates of any weather warnings issued so that they can make a decision as to whether to stay and whether to play. Certainly, the fans deserved to know not only that a severe storm warning had been issued, but that it was imminent and that the storm contained extremely strong winds. Had they been informed some fans would have left upon the notice, others would have stayed. It would have been their choice.
Relating the storm information to fans wouldn’t have caused a panic if the CWS simply said, “Ladies and gentlemen, a severe storm warning has been issued and there are very high winds associated with it. It will reach here in about 20 minutes and while we believe we have ample safe areas here, you may also choose to leave if you so desire.”
But no such warning was given fans. In fact, no warning at all was provided until the tornado sirens sounded. What occurred after that was all the more distressing. 20,000 fans heading for cover and even more egregious, the umpires allowing pitches to go on to the player at bat and then calling up the next player and letting him bat---while the sirens were sounding!
Amazingly, police were telling people on 10th Street to abandon their cars and head for cover. But the majority of 20,000 fans ended up inside a building with a concourse open to the 75 mile per hour winds and whatever else might have happened.
Still later, in violation of a practice of not allowing players on the field when lighting is within a certain number of miles, College World Series, Inc., allowed grounds crew members to participate in a simulated baseball game on the tarp covering the playing field while lighting danced overhead!
Last year a similar storm, one with high winds and much more lightning struck Rosenblatt. Again without any notification to fans. Other events throughout Omaha last summer revealed similar lack of notification to fans and participants.
If the College World Series, Inc. and M.E.C.A. prefer to risk the lives of fans and players to protect profits and attendance figures, it is time that the Omaha’s City Council, the Douglas County Board or the Nebraska Legislature to pass an ordinance to assure that fans at public events receive proper notification of weather events that put them at potential risk. An ordinance requiring that event holders notify attendees of any weather warnings immediately upon such issuance and every 15 minutes thereafter would be a reasonable way to protect human life and allow attendees, and maybe even participants, to make decisions for their own safely.
If something isn’t done to prevent the callous disregard for fans that was displayed on Monday night, last year and at other events, at some point many people will certainly die or be injured. At that point event officials won’t be bragging about how well things went.
6 comments:
I was aghast as I switched back and forth between the local TV weather coverage (Ch. 3, 6, & 7 had gone to full time coverage) and the baseball game; Tornadoes were sighted and confirmed west of Omaha, Fremont had been hit with a severe storm, and the system was bearing down on Omaha. As it hit west Omaha, there was still no indication of a warning at the game! Then the sirens went off, and play continued at the game while the western parts of the city were being pounded, and winds of 70+ mph (low level hurricane force) were being reported. And yet baseball was still being played. Yes, something must be done to curtail the egregious irresponsibility of those who not only delayed the warning, but allowed play to continue under dangerous circumstances. The smiling comments of the NCAA official who flippantly said they have no policy on high winds was especially unbelievably irresponsible. This really was no joking matter!
Heck Pat, most fans have smart phones that can dial up the weather. Could MECA have done better? Heck yes. I also have no idea how Omaha is going to pay for the lawsuits for the cops pulling people out of their cars. A trial lawyer is going to salavate over that. Moreover, how is the Qwest center with its panes of windows safer?
This is what Dennis Poppe, NCAA Vice President had to say: “I’ve been here before where we’ve had forecasts, and they didn’t come true.”
Wonder what he will say when hundreds are injured or killed?
Dennis Poppe and Roger Dixon must have been in lala land. I was at the game and couldn't believe they would let kids play when there was lightening overhead, but then they didn't seem to mind when players were asked to continue batting and playing while the tornados sirens sounded..... According to the Omaha World-Herald 'notes' section on Tuesday, "During Monday's delay at the CWS, fats at TD Ameritrade Park were entertained by an impromptu pantomime by the grounds crew. The group took positions on the infield tarp and simulated a baseball game without the use of bats, balls and gloves to the delight of the remaining crowd. Roger Dixon, president of the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority, said turf manager Dan Blank was "beside himself" about his crew's actions. Dixon, however, added that no one was reprimanded and that the ghost game wasn't necessarily a bad thing. "I think it wa a little bit of comic relief that decreased some of the tension in the stadium," he said. "Would I want them to do it again? Probably not. But am I going to say, 'You can't do that again? No." NCAA Vice President of Baseball Dennis Poppe had no problem with it, stating people go to the ballpark to have fun. "Tis may not be the normal NCAA response, but I kind of liked it, he said. "Normally, we like it prim and proper and by the book, and there's certainly an amount of professionalism. But I can tell you what, it was a little tight down there. "They were doing the job and having fun."
Obviously, these guys don't care about the players or the fans. Wednesday's World Herald quoted Dixon as saying his staff, "did a great job." He said, "You know the facts. No one was injured; we had no real property damage."
What is this guy thinking. The article in the paper said that fans and game officials had plenty of waring throughout the day that Omaha was in the path of bad weather. Well, yes I knew weather might be a problem, but I knew nothing of the storm until the sirens went off. I would have taken my kids home if I had received notification 30 minutes before the sirens went off.
Gee, I thought a tornado siren meant to take cover, not to keep pitching. I wonder what the folks how the folks in Joplin or in many cities in the South would treat a tornado siren today? I also wonder what folks watching the game on television must think of Omaha and the CWS for allowing pitches to go forward?
When people are hurt or die at some point in the future it will be a little late to brag about how well things went..
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